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Pekár S, Ortiz D, Sentenská L, Šedo O. Ecological specialization and reproductive isolation among closely related sympatric ant-eating spiders. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1855-1868. [PMID: 35765936 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Biological divergence results from several mechanisms. Defensive mechanisms, such as Batesian mimicry, can cause reproductive isolation via temporal segregation in foraging activity, particularly, in species that closely associate with their model. This seems to be the case of ant-eating spiders, which can be inaccurate Batesian mimics of their prey. Here, we focused on Zodarion nitidum, which has two forms occurring in sympatry, black and yellow. Given the expected noticeable impact of their colour differences on the spiders' interactions with their potential predators and prey, we investigated whether these morphotypes have diverged in other aspects of their biology. We measured the two morphotypes' phenotypic resemblance to a mimetic model, tested whether they were protected from predators, investigated their circadian activity, surveyed the prey they hunted, modelled their distributions, performed crossing experiments and estimated their degree of genetic differentiation. We found that the black morphotype is ant-like, resembling Messor ants, and it was not distinguishable from their ant models by four potential predators. In contrast, the yellow morphotype seems to use predator avoidance as a defensive strategy. Additionally, the two morphotypes differ in their circadian activity, the yellow morphotype being nocturnal and the black one being diurnal. The two morphotypes hunt and associate with different ant prey and possess marked differences in venom composition. Finally, crossing trials showed complete pre-mating isolation between the two morphotypes, but there was no evidence of genetic (mitochondrial data) or environmental niche differentiation. We conclude that the two morphotypes show evidence of a deep differentiation in morphological, behavioural, physiological and ecological traits that evolved together as part of the spider's diverging lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Ortiz
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Sentenská
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Šedo
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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Sena AT, Ruane S. Concepts and contentions of coral snake resemblance: Batesian mimicry and its alternatives. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Venomous coral snakes and non-venomous coral snake lookalikes are often regarded as a classic example of Batesian mimicry, whereby a harmless or palatable organism imitates a harmful or less palatable organism. However, the validity of this claim is questionable. The existing literature regarding coral snake mimicry presents a divisive stance on whether Batesian mimicry is occurring or whether the similarity between snakes is attributable to alternative factors. Here, we compile available literature on coral snake mimicry and assess the support for Batesian mimicry. We find that most of the recent relevant literature (after approximately 2000) supports the Batesian mimicry hypothesis. However, this is not strongly supported by empirical evidence. Potential considerations addressed here for both the Batesian and alternative hypotheses include the function of the colour pattern, predatory learning and the biogeographical distribution of similar snakes. The analyses performed previously by mimicry researchers show that the interpretation of the conditions for mimicry is not consistent throughout the scientific community when applied to coral snake systems. This review focuses on this division and stresses the need to reach an agreement about the adaptive significance of New World coral snakes and their lookalikes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Thomas Sena
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Sara Ruane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
- Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, IL, USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University Newark, 195 University Ave, Newark, NJ, USA
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Akcali CK, Pérez-Mendoza HA, Kikuchi DW, Pfennig DW. Multiple models generate a geographical mosaic of resemblance in a Batesian mimicry complex. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191519. [PMID: 31530146 PMCID: PMC6784714 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Batesian mimics-benign species that receive protection from predation by resembling a dangerous species-often occur with multiple model species. Here, we examine whether geographical variation in the number of local models generates geographical variation in mimic-model resemblance. In areas with multiple models, selection might be relaxed or even favour imprecise mimicry relative to areas with only one model. We test the prediction that model-mimic match should vary with the number of other model species in a broadly distributed snake mimicry complex where a mimic and a model co-occur both with and without other model species. We found that the mimic resembled its model more closely when they were exclusively sympatric than when they were sympatric with other model species. Moreover, in regions with multiple models, mimic-model resemblance was positively correlated with the resemblance between the model and other model species. However, contrary to predictions, free-ranging natural predators did not attack artificial replicas of imprecise mimics more often when only a single model was present. Taken together, our results suggest that multiple models might generate a geographical mosaic in the degree of phenotype matching between Batesian mimics and their models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher K. Akcali
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Hibraim Adán Pérez-Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Conservación de Anfibios y Reptiles, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalneplanta, Mexico
| | - David W. Kikuchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - David W. Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Akcali CK, Kikuchi DW, Pfennig DW. Coevolutionary arms races in Batesian mimicry? A test of the chase-away hypothesis. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher K Akcali
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - David W Kikuchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - David W Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Kristiansen EB, Finkbeiner SD, Hill RI, Prusa L, Mullen SP. Testing the adaptive hypothesis of Batesian mimicry among hybridizing North American admiral butterflies. Evolution 2018; 72:1436-1448. [PMID: 29851081 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Batesian mimicry is characterized by phenotypic convergence between an unpalatable model and a palatable mimic. However, because convergent evolution may arise via alternative evolutionary mechanisms, putative examples of Batesian mimicry must be rigorously tested. Here, we used artificial butterfly facsimiles (N = 4000) to test the prediction that (1) palatable Limenitis lorquini butterflies should experience reduced predation when in sympatry with their putative model, Adelpha californica, (2) protection from predation on L. lorquini should erode outside of the geographical range of the model, and (3) mimetic color pattern traits are more variable in allopatry, consistent with relaxed selection for mimicry. We find support for these predictions, implying that this convergence is the result of selection for Batesian mimicry. Additionally, we conducted mark-recapture studies to examine the effect of mimicry and found that mimics survive significantly longer at sites where the model is abundant. Finally, in contrast to theoretical predictions, we found evidence that the Batesian model (A. californica) is protected from predation outside of its geographic range. We discuss these results considering the ongoing hybridization between L. lorquini and its sister species, L. weidemeyerii, and growing evidence that selection for mimicry predictably leads to a reduction in gene flow between nascent species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan B Kristiansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
| | - Susan D Finkbeiner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Ryan I Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, 95211
| | - Louis Prusa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, 95211
| | - Sean P Mullen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
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Akcali CK, Pfennig DW. Geographic variation in mimetic precision among different species of coral snake mimics. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:1420-1428. [PMID: 28425157 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Batesian mimicry is widespread, but whether and why different species of mimics vary geographically in resemblance to their model is unclear. We characterized geographic variation in mimetic precision among four Batesian mimics of coral snakes. Each mimic occurs where its model is abundant (i.e. in 'deep sympatry'), rare (i.e. at the sympatry/allopatry boundary or 'edge sympatry') and absent (i.e. in allopatry). Geographic variation in mimetic precision was qualitatively different among these mimics. In one mimic, the most precise individuals occurred in edge sympatry; in another, they occurred in deep sympatry; in the third, they occurred in allopatry; and in the fourth, precise mimics were not concentrated anywhere throughout their range. Mimicry was less precise in allopatry than in sympatry in only two mimics. We present several nonmutually exclusive hypotheses for these patterns. Generally, examining geographic variation in mimetic precision - within and among different mimics - offers novel insights into the causes and consequences of mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- C K Akcali
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - D W Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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França FGR, Braz VDS, Araújo AFBD. Selective advantage conferred by resemblance of aposematic mimics to venomous model. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2017-0338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Mimicry is an excellent example of how natural selection can act on color, morphology, and behavior of species. Herein we assess predation rates on coral snake mimics in Central Brazil, a region with many mimics but only a single model, to answer the following questions: (i) Do predators avoid attacking coral snake mimics? (ii) Does the degree to which mimics resemble their venomous model affect the frequency of predator attacks? (iii) Do predators attack different body regions in mimics with different color patterns? Our experiment was conducted in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, in the municipality of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, state of Goiás, Brazil. To evaluate predation rates on the different mimic patterns, we made 2,400 clay snake replicas using pre-colored nontoxic plasticine and distributed them in open savanna landscapes within the park. A total of 164 (6.83%) replicas were attacked by predators of snakes. Among these attacks, 121 were attacks by birds, and 43 were attacks by carnivorous mammals. Logistic regression and Fisher’s exact test indicated that replicas with red, white, and black coloration are less likely to be attacked than were grey replicas, and coral snake replicas were attacked more often at the “head” end. Also, the greater the similarity to the pattern of venomous coral snakes, the rarer the attack on the replica. Our study underscores the strong selective force that protects coral snake mimics from predators. Our findings reinforce resemblance to the model as an extremely effective strategy in a complex natural system with only one model and numerous mimics.
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Dalziell AH, Welbergen JA. Mimicry for all modalities. Ecol Lett 2016; 19:609-19. [PMID: 27117779 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Mimicry is a canonical example of adaptive signal design. In principle, what constitutes mimicry is independent of the taxonomic identity of the mimic, the ecological context in which it operates, and the sensory modality through which it is expressed. However, in practice the study of mimicry is inconsistent across research fields, with theoretical and empirical advances often failing to cross taxonomic and sensory divides. We propose a novel conceptual framework whereby mimicry evolves if a receiver perceives the similarity between a mimic and a model and as a result confers a selective benefit onto the mimic. Here, misidentification and/or deception are no longer formal requirements, and mimicry can evolve irrespective of the underlying proximate mechanisms. The centrality of receiver perception in this framework enables us to formally distinguish mimicry from perceptual exploitation and integrate mimicry and multicomponent signalling theory for the first time. In addition, it resolves inconsistencies in our understanding of the role of learning in mimicry evolution, and shows that imperfect mimicry is expected to be the norm. Mimicry remains a key model for understanding signal evolution and cognition, and we recommend the adoption of a unified approach to stimulate future interdisciplinary developments in this fascinating area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia H Dalziell
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Justin A Welbergen
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
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